Aug 15 Brexit's culture clash

A hard Brexit could cut the number of skilled cultural sector workers coming to the UK. And that would be a significant loss to audiences that enjoy seeing talent from across Europe performing in Britain, according to a new report, Brexit: movement of people in the cultural sector, from a House of Lords committee.

Bringing in EU cultural workers under the same restrictions as those applying to third country nationals could be problematical as existing visa rules require a minimum salary in excess of what many cultural organisations can offer. That could see the UK struggling to attract talent.

The ability to move between the UK and EU27 at short notice is integral to the business model of many cultural sector organisations, which are often built on the services of consultants and freelance workers working on a project basis, or working on multiple projects at one time, the report states.

“Individuals working in the UK cultural sector are highly mobile, and have thrived on collaboration with people from all over the world,” says Lord Jay of Ewelme. “The country benefits enormously from the sector's contribution to its economy and society, and it makes an important contribution to the UK's international image and influence.”

The UK Creative Industries Federationlast year warned that the UK creative sector faced 'profound danger' from Brexit.“If we are to remain a creative leader attracting the brightest and best from around the world we must make every effort to maintain our reputation for openness and internationalism,” the organisation said in its the Global Talent Report.